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Speleonews . . . but the news isn't new, we've know about it for some time.
Naples, in addition to fighting the age old problem of atmospheric pollution, now has to look out for Radon, a radioactive gas that occurs in nature.
What is new, however, is the level of concentration of the gas in the environment presented yesterday in Rome at the Second Apat Report - Urban air quality - that put our city at the highest level in the nation.
In the experts' opinion, the problem is easy to solve. Since Radon is a gas, it is easy enough to just ventilate and air out contaminated areas.
But where does this Radon gas come from? Well, the city of Naples is built on a volcanic zone and in particular, over a thick and deep layer of tufo, the famous yellow sandstone, which is the culprit. So Radon is present throughout our area, but out in the open it is rendered harmless. . . the problem is found in the ancient buildings that were built with thick walls made of tufo, an excellent building material quarried from beneath the city.
So we are now worried even more than before, because of the long hours we have spent exploring the famous cavities beneath the city where it is not possible to open a window!
By - Napoli Underground
Translation - Larry Ray
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